Government prepares for 2010 World Cup

NAMIBIA’S efforts to tap into the 2010 Fifa World Cup and Angola’s hosting of the Africa Nations Cup in the same year has received a boost.

Cabinet has authorised the Ministry of Finance to source and release N$3,3 million for an in-depth feasibility and costing assessment. A technical committee was established and instructed to finalise a draft Namibia 2010 positioning strategy document before the end of the year.In its latest Cabinet decisions, released on Friday, Government announced that marketing and promotion will be intensified to achieve increased tourists arrivals and occupancies shortly before, during and after the international football events.As a result, upgrading has started at State-owned tourism resorts, with priority given to Namibia Wildlife Resorts in Etosha, Ai-Ais Park in the South, the Waterberg Plateau Park, Daan Viljoen Park, Gross Barmen and at the Von Bach Dam.Infrastructure at border posts is also being improved while the opening hours will be extended.”Border posts on the Namibia-Angola border should receive attention in light of the sporting events planned for Southern Angola.The Univisa system should be implemented by 2009 and bottlenecks concerning implementation should be assessed and addressed,” Cabinet said.An instruction was also given for the upgrading of the domestic airports while existing military infrastructure at Oshivelo should be converted to facilitate civilian air access to Etosha.Cabinet announced that the Ondangwa, Mpacha, Keetmanshoop and Karasburg airports/airfields will all be upgraded while the Walvis Bay and Hosea Kutako Airports will serve as alternative hubs to the airports in South Africa.”While sport is not directly related to tourism, it has not been comprehensively investigated.There is, however, potential in using the 2010 events to develop a competitive offer to participating teams to use Namibia for their training camps pre and post their World Cup destination,” Cabinet said.Cabinet also spoke of a possibility that exists for Namibian companies to be eligible for tendering for the supply of goods and services for some items relating to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup.The technical committee was given powers to establish sub-committees to focus on key outputs, such as sport infrastructure, security and protocol, marketing and trade promotion and resource mobilisation.It can also co-opt any person who could add value.A technical committee was established and instructed to finalise a draft Namibia 2010 positioning strategy document before the end of the year.In its latest Cabinet decisions, released on Friday, Government announced that marketing and promotion will be intensified to achieve increased tourists arrivals and occupancies shortly before, during and after the international football events.As a result, upgrading has started at State-owned tourism resorts, with priority given to Namibia Wildlife Resorts in Etosha, Ai-Ais Park in the South, the Waterberg Plateau Park, Daan Viljoen Park, Gross Barmen and at the Von Bach Dam.Infrastructure at border posts is also being improved while the opening hours will be extended.”Border posts on the Namibia-Angola border should receive attention in light of the sporting events planned for Southern Angola.The Univisa system should be implemented by 2009 and bottlenecks concerning implementation should be assessed and addressed,” Cabinet said.An instruction was also given for the upgrading of the domestic airports while existing military infrastructure at Oshivelo should be converted to facilitate civilian air access to Etosha.Cabinet announced that the Ondangwa, Mpacha, Keetmanshoop and Karasburg airports/airfields will all be upgraded while the Walvis Bay and Hosea Kutako Airports will serve as alternative hubs to the airports in South Africa.”While sport is not directly related to tourism, it has not been comprehensively investigated.There is, however, potential in using the 2010 events to develop a competitive offer to participating teams to use Namibia for their training camps pre and post their World Cup destination,” Cabinet said.Cabinet also spoke of a possibility that exists for Namibian companies to be eligible for tendering for the supply of goods and services for some items relating to the hosting of the FIFA World Cup.The technical committee was given powers to establish sub-committees to focus on key outputs, such as sport infrastructure, security and protocol, marketing and trade promotion and resource mobilisation.It can also co-opt any person who could add value.